Greek Eggplant Dip

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet)

2 lbs. eggplant (2 medium)
1/4 cup diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano)
3 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 baguette or crusty loaf of bread

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Do not peel the eggplants, but pierce them in several places with a fork.  Place the whole eggplants in an ovenproof glass dish.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until very soft.  The skin may scorch slightly.  Remove the eggplants from the oven and set aside to cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and scrape the pulp from the skin.

Place the eggplant pulp in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop; do not puree.  Drain off any liquid that may separate from the pulp.  Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and oregano and pulse to combine.  With the machine running, add the lemon juice and olive oil.  Don't overprocess - the resulting mixture should be a thick, slightly chunky puree.  Transfer to a serving bowl and chill for several hours.

Serve with sliced or chunked bread (toasted if desired).

(This was a hit at the island Christmas party, 2018.)

Barley Cannellini Bean Stew with Broccoli and Tomatoes

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)

2 Tbsp. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
One 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dried cannellini beans
3/4 cup uncooked barley
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (I used 1 Tbsp. dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion for several minutes, then add the tomatoes, vegetable stock, and beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, put the barley in a small pan with a tight-fitting lid.  Add 2 cups hot water, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. 

Add the barley to the soup, along with its soaking liquid, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 20 minutes over medium heat.  Stir in the broccoli, carrots, oregano, salt and pepper, plus 2 cups of hot water, and cook 20-25 minutes longer, until the vegetables and beans are tender.  Serve immediately.

(Makes a lot!  Very tasty.  May want to use canned beans; I found the dried beans took a long time to soften.)